Home Exterior Updates + Planty Projects

We’ve been busy tackling a few more house projects since my last exterior update. Nothing like hosting an upcoming party to get ya motivated to check a few more items off the list! Am I right?

Flower Beds & Planters Refresh

The warmer weather last weekend brought Spring fever to our house so we spent a lot of time in the yard. And at Lowes. And at Home Depot (twice!). While Matt gutted and planted white begonias in the flower beds around the trees in the front yard, I planted yellow lantana in our side porch flower bed. Although I’m keeping my expectations low that these flower beds will turn out like the ones I fell in love with on Pinterest, I am excited to watch these areas grow and bloom all summer long.

BEFORE

(photo taken last summer)

AFTER

We also said goodbye to our dead mums in our flower pots and refreshed the pots with colorful flowers.

And of course we planted our herb garden. This year the line up is basil (which will die immediately, per usual), rosemary, thyme, lavender (new!) and chives (also new!). Caroline is excited to be on watering duty and takes her job very seriously. Nobody teach her about allowance, mmmk?

2017 Herb Garden // 2016 Caroline’s 1st Herb Garden //  2015 Thyme for basil // 2014: Too pregnant to plant herbs // 2013 Herb Garden // 2012 Herb Garden // 2011 Herb Garden

Exterior Light Fixtures

I was excited to replace our exterior light fixtures on our front and back porches. The existing ones were super old and rusty. I considered spray painting them to freshen them up but then found the most perfect Outdoor Wall Lanterns at a reasonable enough price to pass on the DIY project.

FRONT PORCH LIGHTS BEFORE

FRONT PORCH LIGHTS AFTER

I found my tulip wreath at Marshalls! But you can find some similar ones here.

BACK PORCH LIGHTS BEFORE

BACK PORCH LIGHTS AFTER

We have ONE last exterior light fixture above our garage that needs to be replaced and I am on the hunt for a similar (but much larger) lantern!

Fence Refresh

All of the houses in our neighborhood on our side of the street share the same backyard wooden fence. Our next door neighbors stained theirs black and Matt loved it when he saw it and really wanted to stain ours too. So before we plant all of our bushes along the fence we decided to go ahead and pressure wash and stain the fence first. I love how it turned out. We have 12 cubic yards of black cypress mulch on the way and I am really excited to see it against the fence.

FENCE BEFORE

FENCE AFTER

Lots more exterior updates to come! You can find my first exterior updates post here!